Between a Rock and a Hard Place
by M J Azilem
Summary: The Marauders are out of school and have been fighting the war against Voldemort for 3 yrs. it's the full moon and there's been a death eater attack. Desisions will have to be made one life for another.angst NO slash.
1. 3 hours

I don't own anything.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place

By M J Azilem

**3 hours**

Remus Lupin looked out the window of the tall tower in Hogwarts towards the Forbidden Forest. He remembered the fearhe had associated with those dark woods when he had been a young student at Hogwarts.

He had believed that monsters lurked in the forest's dark and he feared them, even though Remus felt himself to be a monster now there were greater things to fear than monsters and these didn't hide. Though they did thrive in the dark.

It had been three years since the marauders had left Hogwarts. Voldemort and his followers the Death Eaters had become a horrible dark force in the wizard world. The Death Eaters believed that pure blooded wizards were the superior race and that muggles and half breeds should die rather than taint wizard blood.

They were starting a war. In opposition to Voldemort was The Order of the Phoenix a group of wizards and witches whobelieved all people were equals. They were brought together by the great wizard Albus Dumbledore. As soon as themarauders had graduated Hogwarts they joined. And three years later with their brains, cunning, and courage they were The Order's most valuable members.

Now as Remus stood in the tall tower at Hogwarts on a dim July day. There were three hours till the sun set and the full moon rose. James, Sirius, and Peter were supposed to join him and he was anxious for their arrival. Something about the drearysummer day made him nervous.

It had been a dreadful summer. The Death Eaters were gaining supporters despite The Order's attempts to stop them and Voldemort and his followers were getting more powerful and bolder every day. 27 muggle born wizards had been killed in the last month alone and 13 members of The Order had been lost; all of them Remus had considered friends.

Dread was a feeling that filled the days in the wizard world and it was taking its toll on Remus: from his shaggy unkempt hair, dark circled eyes, and faded black shirt all the way down to his torn trousers and worn D. M. boots. This young man who had once been such a lively spirit despite his difficult circumstances was now an "old and world weary man" of twenty.

If his mother could see him she'd say he was too skinny and order him to sit down and eat something. But she and his father had gone into hiding like so many other wizards and besides he didn't have time to worry about petty things. He ate what heneeded to keep going, just enough to do his job. This was no time to enjoy one's self and food was something Remus had once enjoyed thoroughly.

As he looked out of the Tower with three hours to go till his transformation a chill came over him; ice ran through his veins and he shivered dispite the heat on the summer day. Remus, sensitive to omens and signs took this as a bad one.

His feeling of unease was punctuated by a great screeching noise that rose from the Forbidden Forest and fleeing of a massive number of birds from the bows they had been perched on. Remus with his keen though colorless eyesight spotted something he did not expect coming his way from out of the thick canopy of the forest.

Remus squinted hard not believing his eyes at first, but there was no denying what he was seeing. Flying fast his way was Gawain, James Potter's beloved owl. The owl flew "like a bat out of hell" straight for Hogwarts it wavered slightly as itneared till it found what he was looking for.

Flying up to the tall tower Gawain perched on the window's ledge. His feathers were ruffled and he was agitated. Remus didn't know what to think as the bird's hard gaze at him burned into his mind. Something was very wrong; Gawain shouldn't have come from the Forbidden Forest. His friend's wouldn't come to Hogwarts through the forest.

Plans had obviously changed.

The agitated Bird squawked, stretched and flapped its wings at Remus in a gesture that looked frighteningly like "Go! Hurry!"

To be continued…


	2. 2 Hours 30 Minutes

2 hours and 30 minutes 

There were two and a half hours till the sun went down and Remus was running from Hogwarts into the Forbidden Forest to find, Merlin knew what, at the prompting of an agitated owl. Remus couldn't help himself he didn't know were he was going but he couldn't stay put when everything around him was screaming that his friends were in trouble.

Remus entered the forest. He ran fast. Still he noticed that something was a miss. The place was darker than usual and the typical wild life that inhabited the strange woods had just vacated at breakneck speed. Remus scanned the area with his heightened senses and maneuvered all the obstacles the forest presented with his long legs. He ran deeper and deeper into the woods as he left the familiarity of the Hogwarts grounds.

Remus ran till his legs started to ache and his footing became unsure. As he slowed he heard up ahead of him angry voices. He moved on cautiously keeping low and peering around trees. It was in this manner that he came upon a bright clearing in the dark woods. From a distance he saw three dark figures standing in the clearing. He moved in closer trying hard to keep the noise of breaking twigs under foot to a minimum. Closer up Remus knew the men instantly as Death Eaters. Only Death Eaters could have such smug and arrogant looks on their faces in these trying times.

The three men were all watching intently and with some amusement what was happening in a cave that opened into the clearing to Remus's right. Remus wasn't sure what was going on but he knew if the Death Eaters were enjoying themselves it was something bad.

He couldn't see what was going on from where he was, but he could sense it wasn't good: for as long as Remus could remember he didn't like being confined in closed spaces "trapped like an animal". He felt claustrophobic just wondering what was happening inside the stone walls.

Remus moved left to see if he could see better what was going on inside. It was as he moved in closer and was trying to see between the three Death Eaters out side that he heard what could not be mistaken, his best friends James and Sirius shouting at none other than Lucius Malfoy. Malfoy had been three years ahead of them in school and a Slytherin. The marauders and Malfoy had butted heads on more than one occasion and it was no surprise to any of them when they found out that Lucius had joined Voldemort.

Remus's mind raced; if his friends were trapped back in there they were in real danger. Remus knew what he had to do. He readied himself and reached for his wand, but he found nothing in the pocket he kept him wand in but air. He patted his back pockets in hope of finding it but there was nothing. He knew he must have dropped it during his run through the woods "Blood hell!" Remus swore under his breath.

What was he going to do now? He had no chance against the Death Eaters unarmed. And unarmed and not knowing what was happening he was of no help to his friends. As his solemn spirit sank further a loud bang and a bright flash erupted from the cave. Remus didn't know who was cursing who and didn't like that, but the bright light had reveled an opening to him on top of the cave. If it was big enough and under enough cover from Death Eaters eyes it might give him at least a view of what his friend's odds were.

The Cave was part of a rocky hill and Remus didn't have much trouble climbing up it. He found the hole down in to the cave easy enough and it was far enough from the mouth of the cave that Remus felt confident that the Death Eaters wouldn't see him. He crawled onto the mossy rocks that formed the roof of the cave and looked down through the opening. He could see James and Sirius with there wands drawn in defensive stances.

Remus lay down to try and get a view of how many Death Eaters were inside the cave. He sifted his weight to get a better look and instead found he was putting his weight on an unstable rock. Before he had a chance to right himself rocks began to fall giving James and Sirius just enough time to move out of the way before Remus landed on the hard ground with a "thud".

James and Sirius Jumped back startled as there friend came crashing to ground. Their shock gave Malfoy just the opportunity he had been looking for. With a short spell and a flick of his wrist he disarmed James and Sirius, their wands snatched from their hands and delivered quickly into Malfoy's. With a cruel laugh he and his companions ran from the cave. James and Sirius tried to follow but were hindered by the fallen rocks and Remus who was laying on his side the wind knocked out of him.

Once out side the cave Malfoy turned and recited a spell the other wizards had never heard. Sirius ran full speed at Malfoy who was just beyond the mouth of the cave. Malfoy didn't move and didn't raise his wand. Sirius wasn't thinking enough to think it odd till "smack" Sirius ran dead on into an invisible barrier. James right behind him slowed at seeing his friend bounce off of thin air and hit the transparent wall with a thud but not with his head like Sirius had done. "What is this Malfoy?" James screamed.

The blond haired villain laughed at James's frustration "Just a little fun I thought up and I think it's so nice that your friend Remus came to join our little party. My it will be interesting to come see what's become of you all in the morning won't it." Luscius laughed and turned away from his prisoners.

A young Death Eater Severus Snape approached the barrier. Potter and Black glared at him from the other side burning holes through him. He had never liked them when they had been in school together, arrogant as they were. Fitting that they should be trapped and helpless, that would knock them down a peg or two. Yet as much as Severus like seeing these two suffer something in him didn't like the fact that they were trapped in there with a werewolf on the full moon. There was just something about that that made Snape's skin crawl. It went against most everything he believed but something in him knew that this was no way to kill an adversary. Snape much proffered killing a man in a fight even if the means were less than fair. But to flat out leave them there to die by the teeth of a vicious beast with no way to defend them self well that was just unsporting.

Sirius looked at Snape who was staring passed him into the cave, he punched at his prison wall "Little Bastard" he hissed with as much hatred as a man could muster. Snape was brought out of his thoughts. He looked at Sirius in disgusted and spit at the ground. Snape then turned to follow his leader leaving the waning sun light for the shadows of the forest. He continued trying hard to convince himself that he cared nothing for the lives of the men he was leaving behind to die.

To be continued…

Ok I'm not a hard core Harry Potter fan but I love the books and movies. I say this because I might break some kinda rule or seem to be making up my own rules as far as the magic in the story goes. Forgive me and don't nit pick too much. If you think the error is just to glaring to let go please let me know and I'll attempt to fix it. THANKS FOR READING


	3. 1 Hour 25 Minutes

1 hour 25 minutes 

"Lily you can come out now." James Potter called back to the back of the cave. He grabbed the shoulder of his friend who was still beating at the barrier. "Come on Sirius that's obviously not working."

Sitting back against the wall of the cave still a little daze and coughing Remus watch as a young girl emerged from the dark cave end. "Lily?" She wasn't suppose to come with James and Sirius.

"Hello Remus, are you alright that was quite a fall?" Remus stood up and brushed himself off he looked up at the hole he had fallen threw and it had been quite a drop. He was a tall young man and he didn't think he could reach the hole even if he could stand on his own shoulders. "I'm fine."

Sirius stormed back into the cave to where Remus and Lily stood. "Remus come on and get your wand you've got to get us out of here!" Remus again instinctively reached for his wand which yet again he found gone. "I haven't got it."

James stopped examining the Barrier and looked back at Remus "You What?!"

"I must have dropped it in the forest on my way here." Remus apologized.

"Well why'd you do a dumb thing like that?" spat Sirius. "Why didn't you go and find it?"

"Well I didn't know it was missing till I found you and them it didn't seem there was any time to turn around and go find it." Remus Defended himself.

"Well what were you planning to do to the Death Eaters, bore them to death with one of your lectures on the history of Hogwarts or something."

"Shut up Sirius." Remus rubbed the back of his head and noticed a knot forming on the back of his skull.

"It's alright boys I still have my wand." Lily triumphantly held out her wand.

"Wait Wait." Remus was not fully clear on what the problem was. "Why do we need a wand aren't the Death Eaters gone?" Remus looked around and saw nothing of any threat; he didn't grasp the cause of James and Sirius's anxiety.

"Were you in the same cave we were the last 10 minutes?" Sirius exploded.

James gave Remus a sad look "We're Trapped."

"What?" Remus cocked his head daring James to say the words again.

"Remus, Malfoy put up some kid of invisible Barrier or force field or shield of some kind…" James started to explain.

Sirius impatient with James inability to just "spit it out" jumped in "There is an invisible wall blocking our only exit."

"No." Remus shook his head.

"Yes." James assured him.

"No" Remus still shaking his head pushed his way past his friends to the cave opening. And found just as his friends had said. There was no way out. Remus pounded the wall with his fists. James came and put a hand on his friend's shoulder. Remus kept trying to "see" the barrier "What do you think? Is it just a magical barrier designed to keep us in here or something more sinister?" James looked at his friend who was trying his best to stay analytical about the new development but failing miserably.

"We will get out." James squeezed Remus's shoulder in reassurance.

Remus's eyes glazed with frustrated tears that he refused to let fall as he watched the sun in its descending arch creep ever closer to oblivion.

Oblivion: The condition or quality of being completely forgotten

60 minutes 

"What about the hole I fell through?" Remus composed himself and turned back into the cave.

"It's no good." Sirius demonstrated by throwing a large stone at the hole. It would have gone through the hole had Malfoy's spell not blocked it, sending the stone back down.

Remus began to pace.

"Lily why don't you try some reversal spells? Anything you can think of." James compelled. She was a capable witch and was looking to be there only hope of escape.

50 minutes

10 minutes later Lily exasperated with the pressure the boys were putting on her exploded "James I've tried everything I know."

Everyone in the cave was getting frustrated. They had indeed gone through every spell and incantation they could think of and nothing was breaking the barrier.

"I don't think she's strong enough." Sirius ran his finger nails along the smooth unwavering wall.

"Is there no way one of us could…"

"Remus you know as well as any of us that a wizard's wand is only half as powerful in anyone else's hands. It would do no good. And would you stop pacing you're making Lily nervous and that's not helping." Remus stopped his pacing only to take up biting at his nails. "Would you try again Lily?"

"I don't understand what the big deal is. James you told Dumbledore that we were coming through the forest and in the morning when they find us not at the castle they'll come looking for us. One night in a cave isn't going to kill you three is it?" Lily looking in the eyes of the three young men who she had grown up with and loved and in their eyes she found a fear she did not expect to see. It then dawned on her that what ever the problem, it was greater then simply the inconvenience of a night in a cave.

"What are you not telling me James Potter?" The demand in her voice made James flinch and he looked to Sirius. Lily followed his line of sight "Sirius Black what is going on?" Sirius in turn coward from her order and looked to the last man standing. "Remus? Would you please explain what has got you all so bothered?" Lily then watched as the boy she had always thought of as always being so logical and lucid turn into something she didn't recognize.

To be continued…


	4. 40 Minutes

40 minutes 

"Why are you even here Lily? You weren't supposed to come. Why were you all coming through the forest? And where the hell is Peter?" Remus was shouting, pacing, and waving his hands around.

"Remus, there was an attack. The Death Eaters have taken captives" James started in a smooth even tone. "Dumbledore wanted Lily to go back to Hogwarts with us; the rest of The Order is meeting there tomorrow. Peter didn't join us because he wanted to escort his sister back to the ministry of magic. Dumbledore suggested that we come through the Forest to avoid tipping off any Death Eaters as to where we were headed. That obviously hasn't worked." James recounted sadly as he held Lily's hand. Sirius leaned against the invisible wall which would have looked amusing any other time and Remus sunk to the cave floor.

"This is all my fault." Remus put his head in his hands.

"It's not all your fault, I think it's just the fates conspiring against us." Sirius came off the wall. "Remus it's going to be alright, even if we can't find a way out of here, we can hhuumm…control the situation."

Remus looked up at Sirius with something new and angry in his eyes "Old Friend have you some how come into possession of a power that can let you stop the moon from rising?" Remus stood now. And looked at what he preserved not as Sirius's way of trying to console him but as abhorrent ignorance to their present condition. "Well my friend if that is not the case then I do believe that the situation is entirely OUT OF YOUR CONTROL."

James tried to comfort everyone especially Lily who was still in the dark as to the nature of their problem.

"Remus we've been able to handle it before."

"I'm sure in the past you have, but not trapped like this and certainly not with any one in such immediate danger as Lily is." The other boys didn't know what to say to that. Remus spoke the truth it would be near impossible to control the monster in such close courtiers with it's meal of choice only a few feet away with no where to run. The situation was looking bleaker than bleak.

"As I see it there is only one thing to do in order to save your lives." Remus now stood very still and looked pasted his friends out of the cave to where the sad sun was somberly setting.

"You have to kill me."

**20 minutes**

"Remus NO! We won't let it come to that." James and Sirius protested.

"James have you looked at your watch, have you looked outside. There's 20 minutes left before hell lets loose in this cave. It has come to that and if you want to save Lily. You will kill me." Remus was unconsciously pulling at his hair. Lily was now crying. She had figured it out, smart as she was and as much as it explained so many things over the years it scared her.

"Remus _are_ you a werewolf?" Remus's was forced to take his eyes from James's and turn to Lily's wet ones and tear stained cheeks.

Remus met Lily's question like a deer in head lights. It had been a long time since anyone had feared him and it scared him. He stared at her but was unable to say anything in response. He just bit his lip and nodded his head; hands still tugging at his hair. She was silent and grabbed hold of James's arm. With everything out in the open the morbid situation seem more real than ever.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I never wanted to hurt…" Remus cried. "Anyone."

Sirius was becoming just as worked up as Remus. "There's got to be a way out we just haven't found it yet." He started beat on the solid cave walls clawing at any crack or fissure he found. Lily and James had gotten very quiet.

A dark shadow fell upon the cave as the sun sank beneath the trees. Remus dropped to his knees in front of his friends "Please, Please." Madness had taken over his eyes.

"Remus no." Lily gaze was hard and stern. She was not willing to except the death of anyone that night.

"Lily you don't understand, if I remain alive you… will die."

"Then I will die."

"Lily no." James gasped.

"He is too important to The Order to die here." Lily strongly stated.

"Lily please do not speak in such grand terms… my life is worthless. I have been fortunate to get as far as I have and to have such wonderful friends and the opportunity to help others… but my life is not worth yours." Lily found it hard to believe that the Remus she loved thought so little of himself.

"Remus how can you say such things?" Lily knelt down to the ground, level with Remus. Tear flowed freely from all eyes in the cave accompanied by sobs and hiccups for someone was going to die tonight and the dilemma was going to be the death of them all.

"If you don't kill me to spare your life them do it to spare mine PLEASE. I don't want to live with your blood on my hands."

"Remus we're your friends…." James shook his head.

"I'll make easy." Remus tore the neck of his shirt to expose fully his long neck and bare chest. Lily gasped at the amount of scars that already covered his slender body. Remus then turned his head and closed his eyes.

"I love you all and except that you do this now. Feel no guilt for my death. You do this in self defense." Remus waited chin up.

"NO" Sirius ran at Remus and roughly pushed him back. Remus sprawled in the dirt. "I told you. NO ONE is going to die here, not today." Sirius hissed through his teeth. "You are not going to sacrifice yourself for us. Now stop it." But Sirius was too late; there was no longer a choice.

**No time left**

"NOOoooooo!!!" Remus half screamed half sobbed. Sirius looked up and saw the full moon burning down on them throw the hole in the ceiling of the cave. Remus started to claw at his own flesh scratching long red lines in his bared skin. Sirius tried to hold his friend down to keep him from hurting himself.

James pushed Lily who was crying buckets behind him. Remus's back arched and his limbs elongated as he screamed and his choked scream turned into a howling wail. Sirius could no longer hold onto his friend letting go he backed up and transformed himself. Lily nearly fainted as all of her friends changed Remus into a werewolf, Sirius into a dog, and her beloved James into a stag.

The werewolf stood on its hind legs and scented the air. Lily pressed herself hard against the invisible wall that was the cause of all their problems and made herself as small as she could.

Sirius bared his canine teeth at the werewolf. The werewolf growled in response and stalked forward. A low and guttural growl emanated from Sirius belly. The werewolf smelled Lily and turned its attention to her, not concerning its self with the dog or the stag. Sirius lunged at the werewolf dragging his claws across the beasts face. The werewolf in turn swatted the dog aside. James in stag form snorted and bucked as the werewolf got closer. Sirius jumped on the werewolf's back and bit deep causing the beast to howl and grab for Sirius furiously. Unable to reach the dog the werewolf went crazy thrashing around trying to shake the dog off.

Lily watched all this in horror. She imagined her death at the hands of the terrible beast. She shrieked as the werewolf and Sirius attacked one another.

The werewolf managed to temporarily stun Sirius and moved in on its desired prey. Lily cried hard as the stag tried to hold off the monster. She held her arms up in front of her face and waited for the inevitable.

She was screaming with the last of her voice when the wall she had been pushing so hard on disappeared. She lost all control. The werewolf sensing her venerability charged. Before he could reach her she was grabbed by the hand and lifted into the sky. The werewolf jumped for her but Sirius latched on to its leg, sinking his teeth into the larger beast's calf.

The last thing Lily saw of the werewolf was it running off into the forest ahead of the dog and the stag.

To be continued…

I am working on the next part "the morning after" any suggestions are welcomed. Hope I haven't gotten anything too horribly wrong and I hope you've enjoyed what you've read so far. Thanks for reading.


	5. The Morning After

Thank you for reading

The Morning After

It wasn't just that they were up at sun raise but that James, Sirius, and Lily had been up all night. Sirius hadn't been able to catch the werewolf so he instead he had headed to Hogwarts were he found James, Lily, Dumbledore, and it his disgust Severus Snape. The three friends had embraced and thanked their stars that they hadn't befallen the horrible fate they had thought they were destine to.

They nursed their wounds as they watched the sun raise and the moon sink down past the horizon. A hard summer rain began to fall.

"We have to go out and find him." James looked to Sirius who agreed. Remus would most likely not come back to the castle; he probably would think the worst and run, not wanting to face what had happened the night before. He would have no way of knowing that everyone had made it out alive.

"That's a lot of ground to search." Lily pointed out. James nodded them something clicked in the back of his mind. "Sirius do you think it's still there?"

"What? Ooohh. Yeah I bet Flich still has it. We better hurry." Sirius made a point of running down the corridor and sneaking a look around the corner.

"Sirius, we aren't in school anymore we can't get in trouble." James yelled after him

"Don't you think I know that?" Sirius yelled back his cheeks turning slightly pink. "You can never be too careful, who knows who might be in the castle now?" Sirius was thinking of Severus Snape and all the horrible thinks he might have done now that he knew the order of the Phoenix was at Hogwarts.

The Marauder's Map 

"Thank goodness Flich kept this thing." James examined the map he and his friends had created while they were at Hogwarts. He and Sirius had bundled up against the rain and now where walking fast towards the woods. The map though it didn't show much beyond Hogwarts it did show the surrounding woods. On the Map the two Marauders saw Remus straight ahead of them in the woods. "He isn't moving." Sirius looked with concern to James. "I know I know."

The rain dripped through the leaves as the two young men searched for their friend "Remus." James called.

"He's around here somewhere." Sirius pointed to the map. Looking up from the map and down to the ground Sirius shivered. There sticking out from the deep brush was a limp hand. "Remus" Sirius ran to his friend.

His pants had magically reappeared which was of great relief to Remus on more than one occasion on this occasion Sirius could have care less if he had found he friend in the nude so long as he found him safe. Sirius looked down at his friend whose black and blue body was laying awkwardly in the dirt and leaves.

"I'm sorry." Remus choked out as Sirius and James lifted him up from the ground. If he was crying Sirius couldn't tell because it was raining harder now. James and Sirius each took an arm and held it around their shoulders.

"Remus it's alright Lily's fine, we all made it." But the good news didn't reach Remus, his head fell as he slip from tortured wake into dreamless sleep.

Back to the Castle 

Sirius and James carried Remus back to Hogwarts. Let's get him up to the infirmary." James prompted.

"Right good idea." They carried Remus up to the infirmary and laid him on the nearest bed. Lily rushed up the steps after them.

"Oooh no."

TO be continued…

If you've read this far could you please make a suggestion for fixing the story so far, is it to short? To detailed? Not enough detail? Is there a direction you'd like to see it go? Thanks for reading I'm glad someone is. I want to make it enjoyable and I will go back and make changes if that's what needs to be done. Thank You for your time.


	6. Changes and Reminders

I don't own anything. Thanks for reading hope you like it please R&R.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place.

Changes and Reminders:

Sirius ran back down the stairs to tell Dumbledore that Remus was safe inside the castle, leaving James and Lily to look after their damp friend. James knew what he needed to do having taken care of Remus on numerous morning afters over the years. He immediately went to get some soap and water and a cloth to clean Remus's wounds.

"Lily will you take off his shirt?" James asked as he searched for some antiseptic.

Lily looked down at the obviously sleeping Remus on the stark white infirmary bed. She looked at his red cuts and blackened face and remembered the terror she had felt the night before.

"Lily?" James said softly making Lily jump. "You know Remus would never hurt you." Lily folded her arms across her chest.

"I know that and I know it wasn't his fault what happened last night or what happened to him but…" Lily wasn't moving from the bed side.

"He's the same Remus; nothing has changed except that you know now what he's worked so hard to keep from everyone."

"Lycanthropy." She said matter of factly she said glaring at no one.

"Yes Lycanthropy. Look we didn't tell you before because it wasn't important, it's not contagious and we had it pretty well under control."

"How long has he been like this?" Lily spoke now in a hushed tone like it was taboo to speak the words out loud.

"He was very young, I don't know how young but Sirius, peter, and I found out about it first year." James had started to work cleaning Remus up so nothing became infected. Lily sat down on the bed next to Remus's.

"So all those times he went home to visit his sick mother?" Lily was now working out the final puzzle pieces.

"All on the full moon." James turned back to face Lily. He didn't mind explaining it all to her the more she knew the less she had to be frightened about.

"All the classes he missed?" Lily pondered as James nodded. "He always looked sickly. But he looks really dreadful now, so pale, will he be alright, does he always look like this?" James stood back and examined his friend. There was a lot of blood, Lily was right he did look dreadful.

"I don't think I've seen him quite this bad in a long time." James had known Remus to get hurt before, in fact that was a pretty common occurrence. This was on a different level then the common cuts and bruising Remus usually got during a full moon. Lots of this was self inflicted. Which left James to wonder if the werewolf kept the state of mind of the human. James shook his head he didn't have time to think about that kind of stuff.

"I know that Sirius bit his leg and scratched his back and you gave him the black eye but what did these others." Lily indicated the long red crawl marks that covered Remus's shirtless chest.

"I don't know Lily." James lied not sure if he should tell her. "You'll have to ask him."

"Will he remember?" Lily was now just plain curious.

"He might, but he doesn't usually remember much."

"James when did you and Sirius become animegi?" James blushed; as much as Remus had his secret James had had his too.

"Well it was…" Just as James was about to make something up Sirius came back up the stairs.

"James Dumbledore wants to see us in his office, it's important." James handed Lily his pink stained cloth.

"You think you can handle it." James's looked into her beautiful emotional eyes for signs of fear or hesitation.

"I can do it." Lily took the cloth from James. "And by the way James Potter…things have changed." With that Lily kissed him deeply on the mouth and then turned to her work at hand.

Remus woke up in the infirmary of Hogwarts. He looked at the room and around the familiar surroundings. For the past three years he had been locked in any space he felt could hold his inner beast because he had not wanted to endanger anyone on his and the other marauder's travels for The Order. This place was almost like home for him a reminder of a simpler and kinder time. As he gradually came out of his dazed half sleeping state in to full conscience he tried to move sending pain all up and down his body. He groaned as he lay back down and the pain subsided, but then the previous night came back to him and he sat bolt up right screaming "NNooooo" as he scrambled from his bed and tried to make it to the door. He didn't get far weaken and injured from the full moon.

The sudden commotion startled a dozing Lily and she jumped when she saw a half naked Remus limping across the stone floor. "Remus!"

Remus stopped dead in his tracks as anyone might do if they were hearing a voice from the presumed dead. Remus didn't turn around to see what horrible hideous apparition his subconscious had put together to haunt him with, he didn't want to know. "Go away Lily. You're dead." I've really lost my mind this time Remus thought to himself as he started to tremble.

"Remus I didn't die." Lily walked around to face Remus hoping to assure him that everything had turned out alright. Remus took one look at her and how beautiful she was and his eyes widened. "Then I'm dead, but why have I been sent to heaven?"


	7. Desperate Times

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Desperate times

"Headmaster let me get this straight…you want to send Sirius with Snape back to the Death Eaters?" James tried to comprehend the older wizard's plan.

"As you know Mr. Potter desperate times call for desperate measures and we are in desperate times. So many of the order have been captured and the only chance we have to save them is to have more insiders when we strike. So I think they will believe if Sirius in light of the horror of watching the werewolf devour his two closes friends decided to help Severus bring Remus to the Death Eaters as a prisoner." Dumbledore paced as he explained his plan, he knew it was dangerous. He also knew they were out of options.

"I think it's brilliant headmaster. By infiltrating the enemy's strong hold we gain the upper hand." Sirius was wired this plan had gotten his adrenaline going the thought of being a spy had always thrilled him.

James looked at his friend like he'd grown a second head. "Sirius you can't be serious? This is like walking into the lion's den, and all the lions are starving. Sirius they'll EAT YOU ALIVE."

"James I know it's risky but it's my decision and I'm willing to risk my life to say all the others." Sirius looked very proud of himself. He had a right to be proud he was the only man for this job.

James gritted his teeth "Fine you want to risk your life that's all fine and great Sirius but are you willing to risk Remus's?" Sirius's thoughts of his daring rescue were broken.

"That's true headmaster, Remus isn't in any condition to go along with this plan."

"I know. But I'm afraid that the charade won't be believable with out Remus." Dumdledore's eyes got cold. "My boys sometimes in times of war hard decisions have to be made. One life to save many. Whether we like it or not." Dumbledore turned from them his mind was made up sad as it made him to have to ask Remus to do what he was asking. "Mr. Potter it is my understanding that you are in possession of an invisibility cloak." Dumbledore still did not look at them.

"Yes headmaster I am." James nodded than realized what Dumbledore was saying.

"Good now go; we have no more time to waste. Good luck and god speed. Remember the order will converge at witching hour tomorrow night."

iIi iIi iIi iIi

"Remus you aren't dead, we all made it." Lily said calmly. "You're alive we're all alive."

"Lily? Where are James and Sirius? How did we?" Remus wanting to believe what Lily was saying reached out and touched her hair with some pain from his wounded back and shoulder. "But it was hopeless."

Lily nodded her head and shivered at the fear she had known. Remus recoiled back from her as if the chill in her body had burned him. Lily didn't realize that she had hurt him. "It was hopeless till Dumbledore came and lifted the barrier. Just in time I might add." Lily thanked her lucky stars one more second trapped in that cave and she would have been dead or worse: infected with Lycanthropy.

"But how did Dumbledore know?" Remus was amazed at the luck that must have been in their favor… to have them all come out alive.

"I brought him." Severus Snape came threw the infirmary doors, Lily gasped at the presence of the Death Eater and Remus pushed Lily behind him and growled softly.

"No need for that Lupin we're all on the same side here." Snape drew his wand and stalked forward. "Come now there's no time for this, you have to come with me Dumbledore has a job for you." Snape still held his wand to the ready.

"What?" Remus asked thinking he must have truly lost his mind.

"Anyway, sit down before you fall down Lupin you're in no condition to defend anyone." Snape threatened and Remus stood glaring.

"Expleiamus." James shot Snape's wand from his hand. "do not threaten my friends Snape." James fumed as Lily ran to his side and Sirius helped an exhausted Remus to the bed.

"James what's Severus doing here?" Lily asked.

"He's on are side." James spat.

"you're not kidding are you?" Remus's shock mirrored everyone in the rooms.

"Sadly no he's not." Snape hissed back at them. "And yes Dumbledore has a job for us and we have to go it's getting late." Severus looked at the clock; he knew Malfoy would be heading into the Forbidden Forest soon to see what remained of his victims. Snape knew he would have to meet up with the Death Eater's there with Black and Lupin in tow.

"A job what job?" Lily demanded.

"Lily many of the Order have been taken captive by the Death Eaters Dumbledore feels that the only way for us to get as many of them out alive as possible we need more men on the inside so he wants Sirius to join Snape and take Remus in as a prisoner."

"What?!" Lily did not like the sound of this at all. "You can't, did you say this was Dumbledore's idea? Of all the stupid dangerous things I've heard over the years this is the worst." Lily's hands were planted firm on her hips as if daring the young men to try and go through her.

"Look I know it's crazy but… 'Desperate times call for desperate measures and these are desperate times.'" James quoted Dumbledore in attempt to bring the plan some kind of justification.

"But Remus is in no condition to go anywhere. He just woke up. It was a hard night. And..and." All of Lily's thoughts ran together till she couldn't get one coherent argument out.

"It's alright I'll go with Remus under my invisibility cloak." James said sadly knowing he had no choice but to go into this dangerous situation to help his friends and leave Lily his love behind.

"James No, you can't go we already had our life and death moment this week there isn't room for another. Did Did anyone even ask Remus if he agreed with this?" Lily was grasping at thoughts now. James and the unusually quiet Sirius looked at Remus.

"I don't think the choice is mine but if it were I'd go anyway." Remus leaned hard on his right hand and held his side with his left. He knew he wasn't ready to go anywhere but it didn't matter much to him, he would do the job Dumbledore set for him.

"Alright then it's settled. Say your goodbyes and come on we haven't got much time." Severus grabbed his wand up off the floor and grandly exited the infirmary with his robes billowing behind him.

Sirius Helped Remus up "Sorry you've got to do this buddy, I know it's been a rough night." Remus nodded.

"Goodbye Lily." James hugged her tenderly.

"Don't say that James Please." Dumbledore was going to get a piece of her mind at the end of this war.

"I love you Lily Evans."

"I love you too James."

"Marry me when I get back."

Lily smiled sadly "I will, when you get back."

To be continued…

Oohh romance and danger how exciting. Haha


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